Everything Changes
by NCISgirl1527
Summary: The teams reaction after Aiden gets fired and Danny goes after he to make sure she knows she's not alone. Danny and Aiden friendship for the most part.


**_This fic was inspired by a picture I had to write a sentence about in language arts over three months ago. I wrote this in my notebook over the course of three weeks ending on Labor Day, and now I am posting it the day before Thanksgiving. Go me. I love it and hope you do to.  
Spoilers: Grand Murder at Central Station  
Disclaimer: If I owned it Aiden would never have left she would be with Danny and Mac would be with Stella. Does it look like I own it?_**

_I'll always look back_

_As I walk away_

_This memory_

_Will last for eternity_

_And all of our tears_

_Will be lost in the rain_

_When I've found my way_

_Back to your arms again_

Aiden nodded her head sadly as Mac dismissed her. She had screwed up. She knew that and she wished with all her heart that she could change that, but she could not. She laid her badge down on Mac's desk and left without a backwards glance. She could feel her friends eyes upon her as she walked down the hall. She wanted to meet their eyes but she knew that if she did that, she would cry.

Breaking the seal had cost her almost everything. She had lost her job and probably her friends, but she would not, could not, lose her self-respect. It was all she had left. So she walked straight ahead into the elevator without a backward glance and so not seeing the destruction she left in her wake.

--- --- ---

As the elevator doors closed the lab, which had frozen as Aiden walked down the hall, came to life as reality crashed down upon each member of the lab.

Don stood without moving and stared blankly at the closed elevator doors. Mac sank back in his desk chair and wondered what he had done. He hated the look of confusion and pain on his friends' faces almost as much as he had hated the disappointment in Aiden's eyes. Stella glanced between the elevator and Mac as if begging him to tell her that this wall all a cruel joke, but the badge on Mac's desk told her the sad truth. Danny was still putting the final pieces together. He looked from the elevator doors to Mac then he saw Aiden's badge. Horror flitted through his eyes, as he finally understood.

"No," Danny yelled running up the hall towards Mac. "How could you?" he asked his superior, balling his fist as he did so.

The marine just watched the younger man and made no move to defend himself. He half hoped that Danny would hit him, and that it would assuage some of his guilt. Danny raised his fist but Stella grabbed his wrist from behind.

"Danny, stop and think," Stella requested, still holding Danny's writs. "Hitting Mac isn't going to do anything. Aiden broke the seal on evidence. Mac didn't have a choice." Danny stopped fighting and turned to face Stella.

"She broke the seal?" Danny asked horrified, "How could she do that to us?"

Stella looked at Danny anger flaring in her eyes. He had crossed a line. How could he be mad at Aiden? Without thinking about it she let go of Danny's wrists and slapped him across the face.

"Wait," Danny asked Stella, "I can't hit Mac but you can hit me." Stella didn't answer. She was starting to regret her actions but was not going to tell Danny that.

Danny and Stella stood glowering at each other in Mac's office. Finally, Mac took Danny by the shoulders and Don put his hands on Stella's shoulders and pulled her away from Danny. "Stop it you two," Don told them, "Aiden wouldn't want this." Stella and Danny looked at each other slightly ashamed.

"Sorry," the muttered at the same time. Then they grinned at each other.

Slowly Danny's grin slid off his face, "Oh my God, Aiden. We've been fighting and she is the one who lost everything. The lab meant the world to her."

"You need to go find her," Stella told him firmly.

"Why me?" Danny asked, "you guys are her friends too."

"Well yea, but you are the one who will be able to find her," Don reminded him before either of the bosses could speak. Stella and Mac nodded in agreement as Don added, "Now go find her." Danny didn't need to be told twice. He sprinted up the hall and disappeared into the elevator.

When the doors closed Mac looked at Stella, "Did I do the wrong thing?"

"As Aiden's friend I say yes. As you friend and coworker…I say you made the decision you had to," Stella told him quietly. Mac nodded, silently thanking her for telling him the truth.

--- --- ---

Danny knew exactly where he was going. Aiden had on special place that she would go if she needed to get out of the city for a while.

The drive there took nearly and hour, but as soon as he parked the car he was glad he had come. Aiden's car was the only other one in the lot and it was parked in…an interesting way. He looked around the parking lot and located the trial head in the setting sun. Aiden had taken him her a few times. Generally it had been after a really hard case. It was close enough to the city to be within driving distance, but it was far enough away to be out of rage of the city noise.

Danny crested the last hill and looked down to the lake's shore. It was illuminated by the rays of setting sun, which were reflected off the lake. Suddenly a figure caught his eye.. Aiden was sitting on the edge of the lake with her shoes off and her feet in the water. Her long, brown hair was blowing in the light wind.

Quietly Danny slipped of his shoes and sat down next to her. "Aiden?" he asked her gently.

"I screwed up," she told him bluntly, "I broke the seal and jeopardized every case I had ever worked. Not to mention I lost the best job I've ever had." Aiden old him as tears started to run down her cheeks, "and my friends too."

"Hey Aiden," Danny said putting a finger under her chin and tilting her face up so their eyes met, "you can't get rid of us no matter how hard you try." She nodded with tears still glistening on her face. Danny pulled her closer to him and she buried her face in his neck and he rubbed her back.

After about a quarter of an hour, Aiden lifted her head again. "How did you get that bruise on your face?" she asked him smiling slightly as she wiped the last of the tears away.

"Um…"Danny said turning a light shade of pink, "Stella stopped me from hitting Mac, but slapped me to defend your honor."

"You can't reason with Stella," Aiden said with another smile, "some things never change." There was a pause then Aiden added more seriously, "but a lot of things are going to change aren't they?"

Danny sighed, "Yea Aiden they are."

He put his arm around her and she leaned into him. They sat in silence waiting for the last rays of light to disappear and darkness to hold them. Because only in darkness were all things equal.

_So here we stand_

_In our secret place_

_With a sound of the crowd_

_So far away_

_And you take my hand_

_And it feels like home_

_We both understand_

_It's where we belong_

_**So there it is. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review. **_

_**Song is: Queen of My Heart by Westlife  
**_


End file.
